“I’m fine.”
Gio clears his throat. We both look over at him, but I catch Juliana’s blush, then the soft grin. “Very good, actually.”
Gio nods and goes back to loading the dishwasher. I rub her thigh where he can’t see and she takes my hand in hers. So soft and warm. I didn’t know hands could feel so silky.
“You’re okay with everything going on? Your mother and .... all that.”
“I’m dealing like I need to. What has that frustration on your face?”
“I talked to your father. And Mr. Alister’s P.R. guy. Rude asshole of a man. I think he’s from New York.”
“Don’t hold that against him. He can’t help it,” Juliana says.
“I just mean he’s from the sewers, like a rat. I think they get human-sized in New York.”
She laughs, but I feel her gaze on me still. Like she can see through my pretenses. Gio makes some excuse to leave and Juliana gets closer. She strokes my belly and kisses my shoulder before resting her forehead there.
“I’m trying to be useful, Max. You and Konstantin and Gio are working so hard to keep me safe, to eliminate the problem. I know that this is a huge amount of stress. Let me do my part and help with that.”
“This is a lot, you’re right. Not in a bad way. I like feeling useful.” It’s true.
And it’s been a long time since I’ve felt truly useful. Those at the top of companies make major decisions only once every two or three weeks. The rest of the time, I just sign papers. I make smart stock recommendations, but what else do I really do that matters?
Call it a midlife crisis, but I’ve been feeling the itch to do more, to do something that matters. Sadly, because of Juliana’s predicament, I have that option. Once we get this done, what else will I have to do.
“I’m just overthinking quite a few things.” I brush it off.
Juliana keeps staring at me, waiting. Groaning, I lean towards her and kiss her. She kisses me back, rubbing my thigh as I tease her tongue with mine. When I draw back, Juliana licks her bottom lip and continues watching me.
“You want to feel useful and I do too. Right now, I have a purpose more than fancy, informed gambling. Once you’re safe ...”
“You’ll still have me.” Juliana wiggles closer to me. “And you obviously want me, since we’re so much fun when we’re together.”
I chuckle and stroke her hair. “I do enjoy your company. More than fun.”
“More than fun.” She repeats with a gentle smile. “And I could use some help with my business. Did you know, it’s really hard to start your own company?”
“A lot of businesses fail, but I don’t think you’re running the risk of that. You’re too determined.” I assure her.
“Oh, I know that. But considering you know plenty, and I’m sure you know more than you let on, your expertise could make the difference between me scraping by or helping a lot of young artists achieve their dreams.”
“I’m something of an artist myself.” I admit.
She arches an eyebrow. I pull out my phone and take a slow breath. “This is a secret. No one gets to know but you.”
“I’m honored.”
“After I got out of the army, I needed a hobby. Something calming. Not a lot of people. No loud noises. Something where I could really just enjoy what’s in front of me without a threat.”
“I’m glad you recognized it.”
“I didn’t.” I snort. “A friend of mine did. So I started bird watching.”
“Bird ... bird watching.” Juliana digests that and nods slowly. “Okay. Not what I was prepared for.”
“I liked being in nature, but didn’t have the patience to wait for the birds. I don’t know if you know this, but I’m talkative.”
She giggles and kisses my jaw. “You are. I like it. You share a lot.”